4 minute read
Part 2: How Can My Program Implement Community Mapping?
Both groups recognized a need for inclusion beyond Christian organizations in mapping projects to gain a full understanding of those working in the OVC space and expand the scope of services to families in need.
Latin America
Latin American leaders identified a need for a national map for each country where CAFO network members work that is focused on possible partners in the OVC world. Latin American leaders also identified a need for more in-depth maps for each community of origin of the children in their care.
Latin American leaders identified the following cultural aspects which are places of potential growth in community mapping projects. Despite these challenges, Latin American leaders expressed a commitment to overcome identified challenges and grow in cooperation and collaboration between organizations, churches and governmental institutions. • Latin American leaders noted a mentality of inferiority among their peers. They feel they have many resources but do not trust in their own abilities. Confidence in their networks and strengths is an area for growth. •Latin American leaders noted a culture of individualism within networks and the need for more collaboration. Networks note that organizations tend to operate in isolation from one another and a more collaborative environment is needed to thrive. •A lack of government support makes effective community mapping difficult. Better relationships with government institutions would help in this area. •A culture of distrust exists among Latin American organizations. Organizations are hesitant to provide information to others.
Eastern & Southern Africa
Eastern and Southern African leaders identified the following first steps •Mobilize local authorities •Work first with partner organisations •Develop a questionnaire which could be distributed to a wide variety of stakeholders •Eastern and Southern African leaders expressed the need to invite cultural leaders, men and women, NGOs and local leaders. They also expressed the need to be inclusive of all stakeholders, including government officials.
Western & Central Africa
Western and Central African leaders suggested advocacy visits to community leaders and gatekeepers ahead of the community mapping event to share the vision and invite them to participate in and advocate for the event.
Leaders also identified the following steps to take for a community mapping event: •Audit resources available and identify sources of potential funding. •Build consensus through town hall meetings. •Launch the collective map and market throughout participating organizations and communities.
Community Mapping
Table of Contents
Part 2: How Can My Program Implement Community Mapping?...............................................7
Part 3: Community Mapping Worksheet..........15
PART 1: WHAT IS COMMUNITY MAPPING?
WHAT IS COMMUNITY MAPPING?
View this video to learn more about what Community Mapping is.
Vulnerable children and families have very diverse needs, and no one program can fulfill all of them. “It takes a village to raise a child,” is an African proverb that means that children grow best when supported by an entire community of people. Supporting the development of that system is one way organizations can support children and families, understanding that we can only meet their needs by working together.
Community Mapping
Building a system to care for vulnerable children and families starts with community mapping. Community mapping is a process of identifying and cataloguing who is doing what in a given geographical area. It allows us to identify key stakeholders, learn about currently available services, pinpoint gaps in services, and facilitate collaboration.
Imagine...
A city in which every program serving vulnerable children and families is trying to provide all services to every child and family they work with. Each of them needs to become experts in child development, child protection, education, healthcare, vocational training, the transition to adulthood, government advocacy, and so on. They feel overwhelmed. There are never enough funds and staff to meet the needs, and they feel like they are the only ones doing the work.
One in which there is a collective, public map of all of the programs in the community, and which services each is providing. Each program knows exactly who is doing what, and where they are serving. The government can ask NGOs for support in their areas of expertise. Families themselves know where to reach out for services, when needed. Case managers can easily find support services for the families they work with.
Now imagine a different city…
Programs work together to fill gaps in services, as opposed to replicating one another. Programs are interdependent, rather than competitive. Stakeholders feel as though they are part of something bigger, and children and families are well served.
This is possible through community mapping. No one organization will ever be excellent at every component of caring for vulnerable children and families, but together, we can make a community system that supports children and families at risk.
How does Community Mapping relate to caring for children and families in adversity?
Children and families in adversity often have a variety of needs simultaneously. One family may need parenting skills, income generation, marital counseling, education support, medical treatment, home improvement, and substance abuse treatment - all at the same time. It is ineffective and inefficient for one program to try to do all these things well. However, by knowing what services are provided where, and acting as a hub of connection, programs can play a vital role in seeing that all these needs are met. This is part of the Case Management process that every child and family in our programs should receive. [For more on Case Management, see ourCase Management Training Module].
The scope of this training module is limited to mapping at the community level, although some of the principles may apply more broadly. For a framework for mapping at the national level, viewChild Protection Systems: Mapping and Assessment Toolkit (Unicef). Further, it is intended that this activity will be completed primarily by adult stakeholders. For a resource on community mapping with children, view Child Participation Tool: Community Mapping(World Vision).
